BY SARAH RUMMEL BACKER · AUGUST 26, 2024
Fulton, Mo. ‒ Aug. 26, 2024: America’s National Churchill Museum (ANCM) on the campus of Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, is excited to announce a special webcast and an upcoming exhibition that will spotlight the remarkable connection between Winston Churchill and his birthplace, Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England.
Both events stem from a collaboration between America’s National Churchill Museum and officials at Blenheim Palace in conjunction with Churchill 2024, a year-long commemoration of the 150th anniversary of Churchill’s birth.
Timothy Riley, the Sandra L. and Monroe E. Trout Director and Chief Curator of ANCM, noted that Blenheim Palace is the majestic 18th-century ancestral home of the Churchill family and the Dukes of Marlborough. Churchill was born at Blenheim in 1874, a time when the future statesman’s grandfather was the eighth Duke of Marlborough.
“Winston Churchill once quipped, ‘At Blenheim I took two very important decisions: to be born and to marry. I am happily content with the decisions I took on both those occasions,’” Riley said, adding, “These programs will commemorate and celebrate Churchill’s birth, marriage and deep connections to Blenheim Palace, which today is also the UNESCO World Heritage Site and current home to the Duke of Marlborough.”
Churchill and Blenheim Palace Webcast Event: Sept. 12
The webcast will take place at 12 p.m. CDT on Sept. 12, the wedding anniversary of Winston and Clementine Churchill. The free event is open to all, who can register on the ANCM website. It will feature an informative and entertaining conversation between Riley and Antonia Keaney, distinguished social history researcher at Blenheim Palace.
Keaney and Riley will discuss the rich historical ties between Britain’s most iconic leader and the palace, offering insights into the related forthcoming exhibit at ANCM, the significance of Blenheim in Churchill’s life and the continued importance of the palace today.
Churchill and Blenheim Palace Exhibition: Sept. 18, 2024 – Jan. 12, 2025
The highly anticipated Churchill and Blenheim Palace Exhibition will open on Sept. 18 in ANCM’s Anson Cutts Gallery. The exhibition will showcase extraordinary historic artifacts from ANCM’s collection as well as private loans, offering insights into the life and times of Churchill and his ancestral home.
A highlight of the exhibition will be a meticulously crafted model of the palace, created by Missouri artist William Lester Philyaw II and first exhibited at the 1965 New York World’s Fair. Immersive technology will allow visitors to explore the model and virtually tour Blenheim, a popular attraction featured in famous films and television programs such as Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Gulliver’s Travels, Mission: Impossible ‒ Rouge Nation and the current season of Bridgerton.
“Winston Churchill was immensely proud of his ancestry. He often visited Blenheim and drew inspiration from its rich history and heritage — a heritage that informed his own successes as a leader and statesman,” Riley said. “This exhibition blends historic artifacts with virtual technology, looking back as we look forward, and is a fitting way to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Churchill’s birth.”
ABOUT AMERICA’S NATIONAL CHURCHILL MUSEUM AND WESTMINSTER COLLEGE:Located on the campus of Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri, America’s National Churchill Museum is dedicated to preserving the life and legacy of Winston Churchill, who famously delivered his “Iron Curtain” speech at the College in 1946. Founded in 1851, Westminster is ranked prestigiously by The Princeton Review as one of the “Best 150 colleges in the Midwest” for 2024. New graduates experience a more than 90% placement rate within six months of graduation, while Westminster alumni are in the top 16% nationwide for graduate earnings. Find out more about America’s National Churchill Museum by visiting NationalChurchillMuseum.org. Find out more about Westminster College by visiting wcmo.edu.
ABOUT BLENHEIM PLACE: Home to the Dukes of Marlborough since 1705, Blenheim Palace was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. Set in over 2,000 acres of “Capability” Brown landscaped park and gardens, it was designed by Vanbrugh in the Baroque style and is also the birthplace of one of Britain’s most famous leaders, Sir Winston Churchill. With more than 300 years of history to share and one of the most important and extensive collections in Europe, the magnificent stately home has a rich variety of cultural highlights and an extensive program of special events and exhibitions. The total Estate expands into a further 10,000 acres outside of the designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and focuses on care for the land through sustainable means, pursuing net zero, the growth of the local economy, the provision of affordable homes, apprenticeship training and supported community groups as part of its ambition to make this part of Oxfordshire a fairer and better place.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Sarah Backer at 573-220-9038 or Sarah.Backer@WCMO.edu.
“Leave the past to history especially as I propose to write that history myself.”
